Hydrogeologist Irwin Remson dies at 90

April 4, 2013

Irwin Remson

Professor (emeritus) Irwin Remson died February 16, 2013, one month after his 90th birthday. Remson earned three degrees from Columbia University: a bachelor's degree in physics, and master's and PhD degrees in geology. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1968, after positions at the U.S. Geological Survey and the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia. Remson was named Barney and Estelle Morris Professor in 1980, and won the School of Earth Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award the same year. He received the Walter J. Gores Award in 1992 and the M. King Hubbert Award in 1994. His 1971 textbook Numerical Methods in Subsurface Hydrology, written with collaborators Hornberger and Molz, paved the way for the extensive use of computer modeling in hydrogeology. His later work included the development of computer optimization models for ground water management. Remson supervised the school’s undergraduate program in environmental Earth sciences, and published Geology in Environmental Planning with co-author Arthur Howard in 1978. While he retired in 1993, he remained an active member of the faculty until several years later. Remson is survived by his daughter Cathy Remson Lazarus (AB '73); son-in-law Stephen Lazarus (MS '70, PhD '79); granddaughter Emily Lazarus; son Ken Remson (AB '79); daughter-in-law, Jana, and grandson Keoni.